Terminology is a fundamental part of any single business, artform, and virtually anything you do. You'll need to get all the terms right if you're looking to get the most out of your venture. That's why getting the terminology right when you're working with a 3D Rendering artist is essential.

Why is it important to understand it as a client?

The importance of terminology is a crucial part of any business venture, especially when you're a client. Showing the artist, you understand what they're doing is a great way to impress them with your knowledge, which has a multitude of other benefits.

Knowing what your artist is doing is a great way to stay on top of the situation. Before you get into any business venture, you need to educate yourself on the industry. That doesn't mean you should know how to do the job yourself, have surface-level knowledge on the subject.

The quintessential knowledge you need when communicating with an artist ultimately boils down to terminology. Deciphering what your artist tells you will give you a better insight into what's going on, how long which process is going to take and will help you remain on top of the situation.

Aside from avoiding redundancies and explanations from the artist, thus speeding up the process. Knowing the terminology gives you a better understanding of the artist's work. That will allow you to communicate with the artist with far more efficiency, and give you a better clutch when negotiating the price.

What benefits does it bring?

There are a lot of reasons why you should learn the terminology of 3D visualization. The benefits of knowing the terminology behind 3D visualization are plentiful. Some key benefits of knowing the internal terminology are:

Better cost negotiation – Knowing what your artist is doing and how will put you in a better position when you're talking about a price. Understanding the terminology ensures that you won’t be confused and that you won’t get scammed out of your money.

Streamlined communication – The jargon, terminology, and lexicon of trade all play an important role in internal communication. Knowing all the terms will ensure that you understand what both you and your artist are talking about, thus leading to better, faster, and more transparent communication.

Time-saving – Most artists love their job, and since they do their job frequently, the internal terminology is their second language. An artist isn't likely going to explain any term that they say, and asking them to do so will only waste their precious time; and your money. Knowing the terms allows you to cut down on irrelevant questions.

Contextual presentation – Have you ever had trouble telling your artist what you want? You have the general idea in your head, but presenting it near impossible. Knowing the internal terminology let’s you explain your plan in more detail, and ensure that both you and your artist share the same vision.

Aids Comprehension – Comprehending what your artist is telling you gives you critical insight into what they're doing and allows you to make better-informed decisions along the way. An artist's job is never indeed done, and giving essential feedback during the visualization process is worthless without understanding the jargon.

The essential terms:

We've stated before why knowing the terminology is essential. In this section, we'll cover some of the most popular terms in the 3D visualization industry. While you don't have to research every one of these in-depth, knowing what they mean is a great way to get the benefits mentioned earlier. Some of the most popular terms in the 3D visualization industry are:

1.     Architectural 3D Model

An Architectural 3D Model is a 3D representation of a proposed architectural object. A building, landscape model, or anything in the architectural niche presented in 3D without an environmental aspect is considered a 3D model. That doesn't have to exclude interior models or lighting, just the environment.

2.     3D Rendering style

3D rendering is a vast artistic world, and 3D rendering has numerous different styles. From watercolor to hybrid shading, knowing the different methods will give you critical insight into the project itself. Some are vague, while others are photorealistic. Depending on what you need, you'll want your artist to go for a particular style.

3.     Wireframe 3D modeling

Wireframe modeling is a form of 3D rendering which describes a skeleton of a model. That is the bare bones of the model which the rest is built upon. It's usually a draft and one of the first stages of 3D rendering and will allow you to make some fundamental changes to the model before the rest is created.

Alternatively, it will enable you to understand the basics of the model's structure, overall design, and dimensions.

4.     Virtual tours

A Virtual tour is usually one of the main aspects of architectural projects presented within a live interactive simulation. This form of 3D visualization allows you to get in on the project itself, and experience it in a simulated environment.

It's an interactive presentation that lets you experience and explore the plan. It has a fantastic presentation purpose, allowing you to pitch your project in a CGI simulated environment.

5.     High poly vs. low poly

This kind of terminology relates to the number of polygons in a particular model. Low polygon models consist of low polygons, which make the final product less precise and vague models. Low poly models are much easier to create and are usually initial drafts of projects.

After you're presented with a low poly model, you can give fundamental feedback to the artist or present it aboard. On the other hand, high polygon models are far more polished, more precise, and usually serve as the final draft of the model.

6.     High res vs. low res

The resolution entails the amount of detail an image holds. It consists of pixels. The more pixels in a given image, the higher the resolution. Another term relation to resolution is PPI (Pixels Per Inch). Anything below 300 PPI is considered a low resolution. The more pixels an image has, the more detail it has, and that's why the final draft of an object should always be rendered in high resolution.

That is usually more expensive than low res modeling, and that's why low-resolution modeling is mostly restricted to rough drafts, initial presentation, and idea pitching. It's the most effective way to present an idea without wasting resources such as time, effort, and money.

7.     Interior vs. exterior rendering

Now, this again applies to architectural projects. Every building has an exterior and interior, so you need to render both of them to get a good idea of what the structure will look like as a whole. Depending on what your project involves, you'll need different renders in different details.

Both of these make up the building, so ensuring that both of them are at least halfway decent is essential. Placing too much focus on one without giving enough to the other will give your structure an inferior, amateur feel.

Rendering the exterior will show including its main exterior features, materials, and dimensions. Rendering the interior, on the other hand, will show room and floor plans, the suggested furniture, and all the unique interior features.

8.     Texture, reflection, and lighting

Texturing is one of the essential pieces of a 3D render. It will provide you with a texture of any given model or structural part. Different textures will give your structure a different feel, and finding the right texture for your unique structure is integral to the design process.

Reflection, on the other hand, isn't as crucial as texturing, but it serves an immense presentation purpose. It gives your structure a sense of realism, thus making it look more natural.

Lighting is as essential as texturing, and it's one of the main building blocks of any good 3D render. It helps you visualize your structure in different lighting settings, thus setting the pace for the building itself, the environment, and the actual implementation.

9.     CG render vs. CG animation

CG rendering stands for Computer Generated Rendering. Rendering is the process in which a 3D model is rendered from 2D images. A CG render is synonymous with a 3D render.

CG animation is a different thing entirely. It's a 3D photorealistic animation that shows your CG renders in a motion setting. It requires numerous 3D render stills, which are then animated into a 3D video to simulate movement.

This animation is usually supplemented by background music and the following text, which serves to set the mood and explain the design in a textual form.

10. Post-production

Post Production is the final step in the 3D rendering process. That's the step where all the final details are inserted. It’s the step where the design as a whole is polished, and where all the fine-tuning occurs. If you have any minor input, the post-production process is where it'll take place.

All the fine-tuning is left to the post-production process. That includes final shading, lighting, texturing, and other minor improvements that tie up the render.

11. Photorealism

Photorealism is a term that entails the amount of photorealistic detail in a model. To get a photorealistic product, a 3D visualization expert will have to make the final draft as picture-perfect as possible, making it virtually indistinguishable from a real-life photograph.

12. CAD

CAD stands for Computer-Aided Design. It's a term used mostly to define software which helps the 3D visualization expert design their model, and is the industry standard in 3D rendering. CAD software is used for anything from architectural design to engineering, and that makes the job far more straightforward, cost-effective, and faster.

13. CGI

CGI stands for Computer-Generated Images. It includes all computer-generated images, such as still or moving visuals in a 3D setting.

In Conclusion

Understanding the underlying terminology in 3D rendering as a client will give you many different benefits and allow you to have basic knowledge over what your artist of choice is doing. It will also give you essential insight into the project and will help you understand your idea in a graphical, 3D setting.

Additionally, understanding the terminology will ensure that your communication is more transparent, streamlined, and efficient.

Here at EasyRender, we do our best to educate our clients on any given topic. We're the world's best hub of professionals, and we treat our clients like our family. Everything you do here will be on your terms, and we strive to help educate you on the matters you desire to help you find a better, more educated, and cost-effective solution to all your 3D rendering needs.